The Mudblood and the Black Bunny
by The Queen Of Mischief
Summary: Hermione Granger is the object of torment for Draco Malfoy and his gang. But why does Blaise help her out afterwards? And why doesn't he take a stand against Draco? BZHG of course, FLUFF! Enjoy! Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Fifth Year…

"Hey, Mudblood, where's my essay?" asked Malfoy, sneering at the short yet furious Hermione Granger.

"I didn't write it." She replied bravely.

Malfoy turned around to look incredulously at his companions, namely, Blaise Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson.

"She didn't write it!" he exclaimed to his goons.

"Malfoy, shut up and get out of my way."

"Fine, I guess I'll have to do it myself. These mudbloods; so unreliable." He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

The team snickered, except for Blaise Zabini. "Leave her alone Draco." He said disgustedly.

"Aww, does ickle wickle Blaisey-poo have a crushy-wushy on the mudblood?" taunted Malfoy.

"Shut up." Said Zabini, turning scarlet, contrasting strangely with his olive skin.

Malfoy laughed before shoving Hermione to the floor and walking past her, in the process causing her to drop the stack of books in her hand.

She knew better than to hex him. Besides, that would be stooping to his level.

Millicent and Pansy tossed their heads and walked past, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. Zabini waited for a moment until they were out of sight and then turned to face her. He crouched down to help her pick up her books, but she yanked them out of his hand. He looked up at her. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"What do you care?" she snarled.

He handed the few books he had rescued to her and stood up, then held out a hand to help her up which she bluntly ignored, stumbling to her own feet.

"I'm sorry about Draco, he isn't usually like that…"

"He is to me."

"Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? What do you care if my mudblood feelings get hurt?" she asked, partially sarcastic.

"Because I think what Draco did to you was wrong and it was also wrong to call you a mudblood."

"Oh, really?" sarcastic, this time.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Well, if you neither require nor appreciate my assistance, I'll be off."

She realized how rude and bitchy she sounded. "Thank you." She called after he'd turned around to leave. He turned his heard sideways slightly and nodded, before leaving.

Hermione wondered why he actually bothered to ask if she was okay? Why should he care?

--

The next day, she went to the lake. There, she sat, leaning against a tree. A ripple formed in the pond, some fish/creature was roaming about.

She opened her textbook on Arithmetic and began reading. Just then, the loud grating sound of Millicent Bulstrode could be heard. So much for peace and quiet, thought Hermione. Her laugh sounded like vultures clawing at a half alive chicken.

Hermione shivered.

"Are you cold?" asked a voice. Oh God, it was Zabini. She decided to play along for a while.

"No, just deafened by that… sound."

"I have to live in the same dormitory as that person, you know." He shuddered.

She felt a small smile creep over her face. She got rid of it double quick.

"Arithmetic, huh?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It's my favourite subject."

"Cool. Me too."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

He nodded, before falling gracefully next to her and opening his own textbook.

She stared at him until he turned to face her with his chocolate brown eyes and asked "What?"

"Nothing," she said, quickly returning to her own book.

Soon enough, the scent of chocolate came to her.

She saw Blaise eating a bar. When he saw her, he pulled out another and offered it to her. "It's almost dead, but it's not expired. I think. I found it in my trunk. I reckon it's from third year."

Hermione almost gagged on her bar, but once she was done, she shrugged and continued eating.

"Hey, Blaise, whatcha doin' sittin' next to a mudblood?" asked Draco, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"I am not! I just happened to like this place to study!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him but he avoided looking at her. Draco seemed to find this pretty believing though. "Okay, come on then."

When Blaise stood up, Draco said mock-politely, smirking "Mudblood."

They left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Professor McGonagall seemed to delight in pairing up people of the opposite sexes every year for Tranfiguration.

Especially if those two people were in different houses.

"Mr. Potter and Ms. Parkinson, Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Parvati Patil, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Padma Patil, Mr. Zabini and Ms. Granger," at this point both Hermione and Blaise stared at each other, kind of stupefied.

They didn't really pay attention as Professor McGonagall rattled off on the list of names.

"You will be working with these partners for the rest of the year. If you have any violent objections-" here everyone expected her to tell them to approach her, but instead, she said "too bad. Deal with it."

There was inaudible muttering.

"Now go sit with your partners! And Mr. Malfoy, you had better keep a civil tongue in your head when talking to Ms. Patil. Got it?"

Malfoy smirked.

Blaise came over to sit next to Hermione. "Hey."

"Hi."

Seeing her uncomfortable expression, he grinned, "it could have been worse. You could have been paired up with Draco."

She shuddered and made a face.

He nodded in agreement.

--

A few weeks later, in transfiguration, McGonogall announced, "Alright, everyone, today, you and your partners will be learning how to become animagi. Note, not everyone can do it, so if you find yourself absolutely unable to transform, I apologize, but perhaps you were not meant to do that. Please do not be too disappointed."

She began her lecture on the rules of becoming animagi, told them of the mishaps that had happened in the past, and also of the things she did not want to see happening.

"Now concentrate. Think deep down. Exercise willpower. Tell yourself that you want to become an animagus. You want to do this. Of course, if you don't, then don't bother trying."

Blaise and Hermione concentrated as hard as they could. Hermione found herself feeling strange. She opened her eyes and found that she was no longer human. She was… um… she was a… mammal? She couldn't see herself. But she could certainly see her partner, and what she saw made her want to burst into laughter. Blaise Zabini was a small black bunny rabbit! He could tell she wanted to laugh and his small pink nose twitched in annoyance, along with his whiskers.

He wanted to stick his tongue out at her, but then realized he couldn't. So instead, he turned his back to her. Stupid cat. He couldn't believe he was a cute black bunny! Surely he could have been something… less gay? Well, he wasn't completely black, the tips of his paws were white, and 

so was his right ear and tail. His puffy bob of a tail. He grumbled in his head.

Well, at least he wasn't as bad as Wealsey, who was scampering around on four disgusting rat claws, or Malfoy, who was trying to catch his own scaly tail, which he found he could, seeing as he was a snake. Padma was a horse, and Neville was… er… something. Harry was the stag, obviously, and Crabbe and Goyle hadn't changed at all.

The rest were all an assortment of animals that no-one could be bothered to describe.

"Now, to change back into your human forms," Blaise decided to pay extra attention, so he most carefully hopped onto his chair, and then onto his desk. Hermione climbed up soon after.

"Do the same, except in reverse." She said plainly.

That should be easy enough, thought Blaise. No way in hell do I want to be a stupid rabbit for the rest of my life!

So he was able to change back easily enough, and so was Hermione.

"So how was it being a cutesy little bunny?" teased Hermione.

He flushed and said "Shut up." Not according to plan. He had been planning on shrugging coolly and saying sarcastically that it had been an illuminating experience.

"Okay, little bunny wabbit." She grinned.

"Stupid cat." He muttered.

"Is that what I was then?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Ok. It's better than being a rabbit."

"Shut up!"

"Never!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

So, soon enough, they grew closer through transfiguration classes.

A question had been bugging Hermione for a while so she decided to ask Blaise about it.

"Blaise?" they were in the library.

"Yes?" he looked up from his book inquiringly.

"Why _did _you help me out, that time when Malfoy pushed me down? You could have walked away with them, but you helped me."

"You want the truth?"

"Yes."

"You intrigued me. You never hexed a Slytherin, no matter how much they bothered you, but other Gryffindors would do it without a second thought. I deduced, using my amazing deducing abilities, that you wanted to prove that you weren't biased against Slytherins, which gave me a mutual feeling towards you."

"Oh. And, one more thing."

"Shoot."

"Why are you scared of Malfoy?"

"I am _not!_" he was turning scarlet.

"You are too, don't bother denying it. How about that time when we were reading under the tree and he came along? Why didn't you tell him the truth that you had come to sit next to me?"

He looked at her seriously. "You ask too many questions." He turned to face his book and she thought that was it, end of discussion, but then he said "In the first year, Malfoy seemed to delight in picking on me, because I liked to read and I topped classes and stuff. I was basically in the same state you are in now. So when I saw him being mean to you, there was this kind of bond thing."

She said, blushing at his last statement, "Oh."

"This doesn't mean I like you."

"Yes, of course."

They both grinned.

--

Hermione felt strange. Perhaps she was sick? No, she didn't fall sick often and it wasn't the sick kind of strange. It was a queer flopping thing in her middle. Hmm. Perhaps the library held the answer to her problem. It almost always did.

She went there promptly after Herbology and settled down on a desk in the corner with a stack of books. She couldn't find anything about her problem, but she got so engrossed in a book about the truth of the Lady of the Lake, that she completely forgot about it.

The chair across her shifted. She jerked her head up sharply. Ronald.

"So-o-o, 'mione."

"Hello Ronald."

"Please, call me Ron. It's what the ladies call me."

Hermione bit back a snort of laughter.

"Whatcha doin' tonight?" he said, trying to redeem his coolness and failing.

"Um, nothing." She answered truthfully.

"What do you say to a night of you, me and dinner?" he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. She despised it when men flirted with women. It seemed so sexist.

"No, I don't think so." She answered flatly.

"But… but _why?_" he bleated, sounding like a cross between a cello in pain and a donkey with laryngitis.

"Because, Ronald, I don't like you that way. Now if you don't mind, I'm kind of in the middle of something."

He stood up sadly and walked away, with one last (hideous) puppy dog look, as though he were hoping his cuteness (not) would make her change her mind.

She ignored his look and waved cheerily. He sulked off and she returned to her book.

"Boy, he has the hots for you." Said someone, sliding into Ron's unoccupied seat. Only one person would be so blunt: Blaise.

She looked into his brown eyes with her own, much less pretty- in her opinion- ones and studies his features. He had shadows under his eyes and his nose was perfectly arched. His lips were quite red against his olive skin as even though it was olive, it was a _pale _olive. (Me: muahahahhaahhaah! You: Oh give it a rest Me: Hey, I'm writing it! You: So? Me: Ngeh. Go away. You: Fine Me: Fine You: Fine Me: Fine You: Fine)

He had absolutely no muscles to speak of and his hands were small-ish. His black hair was short and only partially combed.

"What are you ogling at?" he asked, just as bluntly.

"What!? I was NOT bloody ogling!"

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Oh, shut up already!"

"You started it."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Can we stop arguing?"

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"What were we squabbling about again?"

"I dunno. Can't remember."

"Oh. Ok. Never mind then."

"What _are _you doing tonight?"

"Nothing. Just probably reading or something."

"Want to have an all night arithmetic marathon?"

"I would love to."

"Great. Er, where?"

"Here?"

"Ok. 7?"

"Can do."

They grinned at each other.

"It's a date." He said. She raised an eyebrow.

He blushed. "Not _that _kind of date. I mean, the um, _friend_ kind of date. Er, I don't think that called a date then, is it? Um. So. A _meeting._ As friends."

She giggled. "Sure."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Oh God. Oh God. Blaise had invited her to an all night _reading _marathon. What would she wear? What would she say? She didn't normally fret so much about how she looked. But she couldn't possibly go on a date looking like a troll! Oh. This was NOT a date. It was a bloody _reading _marathon.

But why had he asked _her_ to go with him? She needed a romantic optimist on the scene. And she knew just the girl.

"GINNY!!"

"Oh, hello, 'mione," said Ginny, smiling cheerily as she came into the dorm, which was conveniently empty.

"Ginny, I'm going to die!!"

"Why?"

"Okay, Blaise Zabini asked me to come to the library tonight for an all night reading marathon, and I'm wondering if he asked me because he liked me, cos, you know, he's completely hot and I'm hideous and that isn't even putting myself down, it's just being honest cos he could get any girl he ever wanted and whenever I see him I get this weird feeling in my stomach and I think I might like him, but I can't cos he's a Slytherin and I'm a Gryffindor so I needed to ask you for advice cos you're a romantic optimist, but I don't think even you could find a positive side to my horrid situation. Oh, Ginny, what should I do!?" she said miserably.

Ginny looked stunned. "Blaise Zabini? As in the Slytherin Blaise Zabini?"

She nodded.

"Hermione! That's SO romantic! You're like star-crossed lovers! Like Romeo and Juliet! Oh, I could faint!"

"But I'm pretty sure he doesn't like me like that at all, Ginny."

"He invited you, didn't he? He likes you. No doubt about it. I have been studying males for years; they are normally solitary creatures, except jocks. And if they invite you to sit with them, they like you. But there is one VERY important thing I must ask you: that flopping feeling of yours. Is it like you feel nauseous? Because that means you're revolted by him. Or is it pure, undying love where your dingers are _aching _to rip off his clothes? (At this point Hermione looked weirded out) Cos that's just infatuation."

"No, Ginny, it's not like that at all! I feel wonderfully dizzy and happy and my heart starts to beat faster and I keep smiling and it's just great!"

Ginny smiled knowingly. "Then you like him."

"But what do I do? We're star-crossed, like you said!'

"Don't _worry _so much! Let life take its course. Let the pebbles fall where they may. Let the tides come."

"Ginny, I don't think that last one was an expression."

"Whatever."

"What do I wear? What do I do? How do I behave?"

"Behave the same as you always do! Dress like you always do. Be yourself. Don't be posh, or gangsterish. You're perfect the way you are 

and I'm pretty sure the real Hermione is the girl Blaise likes. Where's the Hermione _I _know? The girl I know is strong, stubborn, and brave! What happened to her?"

"She died and went to heaven the minute she set eyes on Blaise Zabini." She said dryly.

Ginny giggled. "Nice one. Tell me _all _about him! I want to know EVERYTHING! From his head to his… you know."

Hermione flushed darkly. "He's gorgeous, Gin! And so smart and funny! His eyes are like melted chocolate! And his hair is wonderful! And his SMILE! He's always joking around and he even helped me up after Malfoy shoved me down! And his animagus is a cute, black bunny! It's so adorable! Just like him! And he's always eating chocolate! He even offered me a bar which he found in his robe from third year! He's so sweet! And he told me how Malfoy used to bully him in first year!"

Ginny's eyes were stars. "Oh, Hermione, he sounds _wonderful_! You're so lucky!"

"So are you! You have Harry Potter! He's great, too!"

"I don't _have _him YET." She grinned, blushing a bit.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

So that evening, Hermione dressed as casually as humanely possible.

"How do I look?" she asked Ginny, flushed.

"You look brilliant, Hermione. Don't worry, you'll be ok."

"Ok. Ok."

"Good. Now, go, lover-girl!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and left the room.

She popped her head back in after a second. "Sure the lip gloss isn't a bit much?"

"YES!"

"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a wodge."

--

"Hey, Blaise!" her stomach flopped.

"Hiya!" he grinned, flashing his perfect teeth.

"Shall we?" she gestured.

"Ladies first,"

Hermione scowled and shot back, "Which is precisely why you should go first."

Blaise blushed.

"Chivalry is dead." She continued.

"I see."

So they read.

After half an hour or so, Blaise whined "I'm hungry." And pulled out Famous Amos cookies.

"Where did you get those?"

"You don't want to know." He said gravely, then grinned.

So they ate the cookies. **(A/N: me like kookie…hehe.)**

The librarian came and wanted to tell them that they weren't supposed to eat in the library, but seeing them sitting next to each other, so engrossed in reading, both with a small smile on their faces, just made her want to giggle (she was quite young and still a romantic). So she pretended to be taking out a book.

Just then, Draco sauntered it, soon to be followed by his Hench-people.

"Blaise!" he cried, surprised, upon seeing Blaise next to Hermione. "What on Earth are you doing, sitting next to that slimy bitch? First it was under that tree, then in Transfiguration, and now _here?_ Why don't you just join the freaking Gryffindors?"

Blaise's look of surprise, when he saw Draco, changed to anger when he called her a… well. What he called her.

He rose slowly. "Draco Malfoy, don't you ever call her that again." his voice was calm, but it was laced with venom. His eyes flashed and his 

fists were clenched. If lightning could have struck and thunder could have boomed, it would have.

Malfoy, however, looked unaffected. "Or _what?_ You'll get your mudblood to hex me? Or will you turn into your fearsome animagus, the teeny-weeny cutesy bunny rabbit?"

Blaise, now really angry, pulled out his wand. Draco had the sense to look uncomfortable now. "Don't ever… _ever _call her a mudblood again."

Draco was a stubborn person.

Hermione went over to Blaise and tried to reason with him. "It's okay. He's a slimy git and he knows it."

"No, Hermione, not this time."

"What do you have against me?" Draco challenged.

"I've been putting up with your crap the whole time in Hogwarts. I've been listening to you swearing at Gryffindors like there was no tomorrow. I've been putting up with _you _for too long."

Draco's discomfort was replaced with scorn. "_You've _been putting up with _me?_ _I'm _the one who's constantly putting up with _you, _going on about your whore of a mother. Not my fault your family's so freaking screwed up. A bitch, that's what your mother was. That's _all _she was. If she were dead, the world would be better place." Now, Hermione looked furious too. It was one thing to insult a Gryffindor, but another entirely to insult a fellow Slytherin. Where was the loyalty?

Now, Blaise said without hesitation "Petrificus Totalus!"

Draco froze, petrified. Literally.

Hermione and Blaise both froze. Figuratively.

"Merlin, what have I done?" asked Blaise.

Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle ran off for help.

Soon enough, Professor Snape and McGonagall arrived.

They called the nurse and Draco was taken away. Before leaving, the nurse mentioned "This spell is going to take some time to wear off. Whatever Mr. Malfoy said to you, it must have been really horrible."

This prevented Snape and McGonagall from giving them detention straight away and made them listen to their story, which Blaise and Hermione conveyed to them honestly.

"Well, this puts us in quite a predicament." Said McGonagall.

"What predicament?" scorned Snape. "They hexed a student and that is against the school rules, as I'm sure you are aware,"

"I _am _aware, Professor Snape, but quite clearly, your students _aggravated _them first!"

"My students are the _victims _of this whole scenario!"

"So are mine." And that was it, end-of-story. Snape knew that Dumbledore preferred McGonagall to him and there was more of a chance that she would win.

"Very well." He sighed. "I shall see that Mr. Malfoy and his friends are appropriately punished."

"Very well. Mr. Zabini, Ms. Granger, you are free to go. But please do not think that you will get away with this once more."

"Yes." Drawled Snape, nastily.

Blaise and Hermione glanced at each other. "Room of Requirement?" asked Blaise.

"Room of Requirement." Replied Hermione.

They went to the Room of Requirement, which was, as they had desired, a library. They were silent.

Once they were inside, Hermione turned to face Blaise. He looked at her, questioningly.

She surprised him by wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a big hug. "Thank you." She said into his shoulder. "No-one's ever stood up for me like that before."

"You shouldn't thank me, 'mione, I should have stood up to Malfoy long ago,"

"You should have. Especially after all those…things he said about your…family." She couldn't help but let curiosity enter her voice.

"I suppose you're wondering _why_ he said all those things. Especially about my mother."

She nodded reluctantly.

So, he told her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"My mum is a good person. She… had an affair with another man once, after she had married my father, or should I say, stepfather. I was the result of that affair.

"Out of guilt and remorse, for she loved my father very much, she told him about it. He loved her enough to forgive her, but somehow, news got out about the affair, courtesy of her lover, and the Zabini name was- is- tarnished.

"It's partially why Malfoy bullied me so much. I wasn't of clean blood, I was a bastard, et cetra, et cetra.

"I try to help my mum as much as possible. She wasn't very well after the cat was out of the bag. She's a good person. I was just… a mistake. She was drunk and he was drunk and you know the rest."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I should have known it would be personal." She was thinking about how insensitive she was.

"That's okay. I should have trusted you and told you long ago."

"Now what?"

"I dunno."

"So."

"So."

"So."

They looked at each other once and burst into laughter. The usual air of good humor came back and they sat down to finish their reading marathon.

They had a large pile of books in front of them. At random moments one of them would reach out and grab a new book.

Once, they both reached out for the same book and their hands connected for a moment. Then they blushed and pulled away.

"Sorry" said Blaise, "You take it."

"No, you take it."

"I insist." He put the book in her hands, grinning.

She smiled back.

Suddenly, Blaise looked at his watch. It was 12 am. "I suppose we should go." He looked wistfully at the unread books.

"Yes, I suppose we should." She agreed reluctantly.

He stood up and held out a hand to her, which she accepted, blushing.

"I'll walk you to your dorm." He offered.

"Sure," she smiled.

They went to her dorm, chattering about nothing, really.

They reached the Gryffindor Dorm soon enough.

"Well, bye for now," he said awkwardly.

Then she surprised him by pecking him on the cheek.

He- and she- blushed bright scarlet. "Thanks, Blaise, I had a really good time,"

He scuffed the toe of his shoe on the floor and rubbed his nose, embarrassed. "So did I."

The portrait was watching them with interest.

"Goodnight, then," he said, as she went in. she waved, still blushing. The portrait door closed and he saw the lady staring at him, knowingly.

"What?" he asked.

"She likes you, you know,"

He was speechless for a moment.

"And you like her too, don't you?"

"I DO NOT!"

"Whatever you say, Slytherin." She replied, rolling her eyes. _Teenagers._

--

Blaise pondered what she had said as he went back to his own dorm.

_Did he like her? Did she like him? _It was all very confusing and Blaise tried to clear his mind of those thoughts.

Fortunately, Blaise didn't bump into Malfoy, or Pansy or Millicent, or Crabbe or Goyle. Quite coincidental, all of it.

He _did _however, bump into the Slytherin romantic, Janice Abbott.

She was relatively nice, so he decided to greet her. "Hello, Janice,"

"Hi Blaise!" she greeted cheerfully. "You look gloomy. Why so… glum?"

He rolled his eyes. "No reason," he said distractedly, thinking of Hermione.

"It's that Gryffindor, isn't it? Hermione Granger?"

"_What? _What makes you think that? I don't like Hermione. Psh. Why would I like her? She's Gryffindor, remember? There's not the slightest chance that I like Hermione-" he was interrupted by a very stern gaze from Janice. "I like Hermione Granger." He said quickly, blushing.

She smiled triumphantly. "There, don't you feel much better?"

"Ummm…"

"Oh, this is SO romantic! Star-crossed lovers, like Romeo and Juliet! Oh!" she said again, placing her palm on her mouth dramatically, flushing pink.

"Um. Janice? I don't think we're star-crossed lovers… because I'm pretty sure she doesn't _love _me."

"I've seen you two together," here, Blaise looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I've seen her looking at you. She likes you, Blaise. Believe me."

"Really?"

"Yes, I mean, what's not to like? You're smart, hot, funny, cute, you like chocolate, you're not all muscly-ick, you're hot, you have a gorgeous smile…" she trailed off when she saw Blaise _s-l-o-w-l-y _inching away from her.

"I don't have a crush on you, mind. I'm just telling you what the average female likes. Except bimbos. They like muscly-ick stuff."

Blaise relaxed a bit when she declared that _she _didn't have a crush on him.

"Besides, you're taken."

"I am?"

"Yes, I have the distinct feeling that you will be."

"Uh…huhhh."

"IT'S TRUE!"

"Okay…"

"Oh, go away,"

"Fine." He stuck out his tongue. She did too.

Just as he was about to walk away, she called "Good luck!"

Blushing, he turned back. "Thanks."

_I'm going to need it._

**Okay, okay, I know that chapter was extremely bogus and all, so please forgive me… please, please, please, please review anyways! **

**THANKS for ALL the adds! They made my day! (: If you have ANY suggestions whatsoever, please just tell me! I'm gonna need 'em; I'm in a kind of block-mode. ): Anyways, thanks again for all the support!  
TheQueenOfMischief **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Hey! Weasley!" hissed Janice from behind a bush in the Great Hall.

Ginny turned round and saw the face of the Slytherin peeping out from behind a gigantic leaf.

"Abbott? What the hell's going on?"

"SHHHHHHHHHH." She dragged Ginny behind the bush with her and said, "Library, now."

Ginny figured it must be important if the Slytherin had touched her clothes.

So they inconspicuously crept over to the library, tripping over a stack of books, a potted plant, Dumbledore and an untied shoelace.

Once in the library, Ginny demanded, "What do you want?"

"I want Granger and Blaise to get together."

Ginny stared at her for a moment, before going red in the face with excitement.

"Really?"

"They're like star-crossed lovers!"

"MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY!" said Ginny in an 'Ohmigod' voice.

"We must be more alike than we think."

"Great minds think alike."

"Truce?"

"Truce."

"To get those two blithering, oblivious idiots together."

"My sentiment exactly."

So, they plotted, and schemed, and eventually, they came up with the perfect idea…

--

"Oh, hullo, 'mione. They called you here too?"

"Hey, Blaise, and yes, they did call me."

"I wonder why…"

"Ditto."

Janice and Ginny had told them to meet them inside the room of requirement.

Just then, they popped up.

"What is it? What happened?" asked Hermione, thinking it was something serious.

"Nothing happened." Ginny looked sneakily at Janice.

Janice said "Actually, something _did _happen."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"You two met."

"And there was a chemical explosion." Finished Ginny.

"My sentiment _exactly." _

Blaise and Hermione glanced at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Don't you two idiots see it??"

"See _what?_"

"And what chemical explosion are you talking about?"

"See that you're perfect for each other! And the chemical explosion which happened when the impact of you meeting each other caused an explosion I your hearts, which is the reason of the sudden hormonal outbursts you suffer from whenever you're around here. A chemical explosion that could very well cause the Grand Canyon to collapse should you not neutralize it with your passion for each other!"

**A/N I know what you're thinking: somebody's been paying too much attention in Chemistry…**

"Ummm. Ginny? Janice? We have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't you?"

"It's time, don't you think, Ginny, that these two had a 'feelings talk'?"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" okay, now they just sounded like that stupid TV show with the bananas wearing pajamas.

"I think I am!"

With that, they left the room of requirement and locked the door behind them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_That was what those two idiots needed! A penthouse apartment type place to lock me and Blaise up in!_ Thought Hermione.

"Those insane romantics." Muttered Blaise, rolling his eyes.

"Now what?"

"I dunno. I suppose they'll unlock us in a couple of hours."

"What about our lessons?" asked Hermione, panicking.

"Relax, Granger," he said, grinning, "Look at this, it's a note they stuck on the back of the door: Dear lovebirds AKA soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Zabini," he started turning red at this point. "We have talked to the principal and they have agreed to excuse you from lessons for the next three days, during which you will find out what it will be like to be married to each other. We have magicked the fridge to provide food whenever you open it, so you will not starve. Have fun!

G&J Pte. Ltd.  
We make you get together, and we do it fast!

He rolled his eyes.

"Now what?" she asked.

"I have no idea." He replied.

"I suppose we could… um… watch TV?"

"There's a TV?" from Muggle Studies, Blaise was only too familiar with TV, seeing as the teacher made them take it apart and reassemble it.

"Yeah, it says so, on that door." She pointed to another door in the gigantic apartment, which had another note.

She read:

_Dear Mr. and soon-to-be Mrs. Zabini,_

_Through this door is an entertainment and TV room. We hope you can enjoy many shows cuddled together in each other's arms._

_Love,  
Ginny and Janice Pte. Ltd._

Hermione covered her face with her hands. "Oh God."

"Have they nothing better to do?" asked Blaise sarcastically.

"Apparently not. Well, I suppose we could just watch some TV. Shall we?"

"After you,"

They went in and there was a monster TV, with a comfy looking sofa. There was foosball and a pool table and bean bags and video games and all that stuff.

"Wow."

"I agree."

They turned on the TV. The LCD screen was awesome.

There was some Chinese drama going on. Incredible sob-story.

They were all crying and screaming and… doing… other stuff.

They flipped channels. Desperate Housewives, no, Chinese drama, Chinese drama, oh, a Korean drama too, Japanese show, blah, blah, blah…

Then, they found the National Geographic. (Me: Dun, dun, duuuun, You: rolls eyes, Me: :))

They sat down next to each other and watched contentedly.

As contented as you can be when you're trapped in a room because your friends think you're madly in love, anyways.

"You know," he commented that night, "I don't think they're going to let us out until we actually get together."

"Yep."

"Well this is awkward."

"Tell me about it." She rolled her eyes.

"They're all insane,"

"We already knew that."

"True."

"So."

So." He replied.

"Holy shit."

"What?" he asked, alarmed.

She pointed with one finger, and a slightly open jaw, to the bedroom, which they had not, until now, bothered to look at.

There was one bed. It was large, but there was only one.

"Holy shit." He agreed.

A moment passed.

"I'll sleep on the couch." She volunteered.

"No!" he said immediately.

"Chivalry is dead." She informed him.

"Dead it may be, but I am _not _letting you sleep on the couch!"

"Then what do you suggest?"

"_I'll _sleep on the couch, stupid."

There was nothing in the least bit romantic about being called stupid, thought Hermione, before wondering why she had even expected him to say anything romantic. She knew that he could very well spout poetry if the need should arise, but she wondered why she wanted him to say anything romantic to her, whom he could clearly have no affections towards.

"No you won't." she shot back.

"Yes I will."

"I could stand here and argue all night about where to sleep, you know." She informed him.

"So could I, love." He cursed himself inside for letting that slip out.

Hermione, regardless to say, was blushing like mad. She hoped that he would take it for frustration or something.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"I'm sleeping on the couch."

"No, _I'm _sleeping on the couch."

"No, I am."

"I am."

"Me."

"Me."

"Me."

"ME!"

They stood there glaring at each other for some time.

Hermione broke the silence by letting out a giggle.

Blaise looked startled for a moment, before starting to laugh himself. He looked so adorable when he laughed! She thought, not even bothering to be pissed at herself.

"I have an idea!" she said, still half giggling.

"What?" he was grinning.

"We sleep together!"

There was a moment of silence during which both Blaise and Hermione reddened at the implications of those three words Hermione had uttered.

"What?" he asked.

"I meant… um… I didn't mean _that._ I, er. Um. I meant…" she stammered.

Blaise, regaining some of his Slytherin charm, and of course, his smirk, said "I'm glad you thought of me, Hermione, but I'll be frank with you. I think I'm still a bit young for _that._"

"Shut up!"

"I have a better idea. Better than us 'sleeping together'."

She was pissed. "What is it, then, genius?"

"We split the bed using magic!"

It had never occurred to her. Then, she decided to get back at him for the sleeping together comment.

"Why, Blaise," she said innocently. "It saddens me that you would go to such lengths to avoid having to share a bed with me." She made her chin wobble, fakely of course.

It was his turn to be at a loss for words. "I didn't mean… um. What I _meant _was…"

"Its okay, Blaise," she said sweetly. "To be frank, I'm not quite ready for _that _either."

The colour change from pink to a shocking red was quite interesting, actually.

She laughed. He realized she was joking and blushed some more.

He mumbled something and took out his wand before uttering a charm.

The bed split all right. But both halves became the size of matchboxes.

"Damn. Now what?" he asked.

"I know!"

"Please, choose your words _carefully _this time, Granger?"

"Shut up. I was thinking, we could split the bed!"

He looked at her with a kind smile on his face and he spoke as though he were speaking to a small child. "That's a wonderful idea, Hermione," he said. "But the problem is, we already tried it. Look what has happened to the beds!"

She rolled her eyes. "_You _split the bed with magic. Pure-blooded idiot. When muggles are faced with this sort of problem, we use God's gift to mankind."

"Brownies?"

"No, pillows."

"Err. I see."

"We build a fort of pillows between us!"

"You know what? That might actually work."

"Was that a compliment?" she asked in mock-disbelief.

"Don't get used to it." He growled, looking mock-dead serious.

Once they were ready for bed, they awkwardly clambered in. their pillows divided them.

Blaise removed the top pillow right next to him so he could see her face.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me about your family. Mine is kind of screwed up… I've never really known what it's like to be normal…"

She felt a pang of sorrow. Blaise had done nothing to deserve the family he had gotten.

She started. "We're actually quite boring." She made a face. He smiled. "My mum's a travel agent and my dad's a surgeon. My mum's really pretty. Much prettier than I am-" here Blaise smiled. "And my dad's the most accident-prone person you'll ever meet. He can trip over himself in a swimming pool. My mum's a lot more graceful than that. I have an annoying little brother. I love him, deep, deep, deep down, but it makes me wonder if all boys are like that when they're six. I mean, really. He looks adorable, but he's really crazy. He has brown hair, blue eyes and freckles and he's so short and cute! We live in a normal-ish house, but it's cluttered with toy trucks and my books and more than once, we've had to order take-out cos my mum burnt the kitchen down in one of her experiments. We have a pet cat, Snowball, and we all love him to bits! Well, that's kind of it. I guess."

"It sounds wonderful." He said, sounding yearning.

She smiled. "What's your family like?"

"Well… my mum's nice. She was always nice. My dad's always busy. He doesn't really have much time for us. It's kind of sad, really, that the only time he cared was when my mum told him about the affair. I don't have any siblings and our real house burnt down in a fire so all our precious possessions, like photo albums are gone. My mum's really into muggle stuff, I have no idea why. My dad's an auror and is convinced that every muggle object she buys is some sort of demon in disguise." He rolled his eyes. "Superstition does strange things to the mind."

She giggled, and then stopped abruptly when she saw the sad look in his eyes.

"They sound lovely." She said sincerely.

"Not really."

"My family's nothing special either, you know."

"It sounds special."

The conversations soon drifted to other topics.

"I suppose we should go to sleep, then."

"I guess so."

"Goodnight, Blaise."

"Goodnight,"

They both went to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

They woke up in the morning okay.

Just as they were eating breakfast, Blaise's head snapped up and he said "I've got it."

"Got what?"

"I know how to get us out of here." He whispered.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, tell me!"

He looked around conspiratorially. "We pretend to get together. Then, once they've let us out, we will never listen when they ask us to meet them, again!"

"That…is brilliant."

"Thank you." He said mock-arrogantly.

"Yeah, yeah, don't let it blow up your head any more. So… how are we going to do it?"

"I have just the plan."

--

Later on, Hermione thought about what he meant as she showered. What plan? What was he going to do?

Just in case, of course, she brushed her teeth thoroughly and shampooed and did all that.

When she was getting ready, she had enough sense not to do anything extra-special or he would notice. But she _did _comb her hair carefully and apply a bit of powder and some pink blush. She looked at herself carefully. She looked presentable, she supposed. She had even sprayed on her favourite vanilla scented perfume and wore her favourite sneakers. No way in hell was she wearing heels and feeling like a complete idiot.

She was wearing her newest set of clothes, which Ginny had brought over. This was namely a red top with frayed hems and black skinny jeans.

When Ginny had seen it earlier, she'd said "You look ready to go to a rave! You're so gorgeous, I find myself strangely attracted to you…" which had made Hermione distinctly uncomfortable, but she knew that Ginny was far from homosexual, seeing the list of guys she was drooling over.

Not that there was anything wrong with being gay or anything.

She stepped out of the bathroom. Blaise was lounging around on a sofa, looking perfectly adorable in a partially un-tucked, long-sleeved white shirt and baggy jeans. His hair was casually tousled.

"Hey, Blaise,"

"Hey," he smiled and gestured for her to sit down.

"Operation Escape is now in effect." He whispered.

"O…kay… what did you have in mind?"

"You'll find out. There are cameras hidden, there, there and there." He gestured to the TV, the kitchen and under the doorway.

"Uh-huh…"

"Go back into the bedroom, and after exactly three minutes, come out. Look casual. And don't look at the camera. Okay?"

"Er, I guess so…" she went in, and after precisely three minutes, walked out, as though she were going to the kitchen. To her surprise, Blaise 'happened' to be walking past there, too.

Just under the doorway, in plain sight of the camera, Blaise placed one hand on the back of Hermione's neck- she was shocked-, and one on the small of her back- she wasn't sure what she was now-, tipped her over- she was almost hyperventilating now- and kissed her.

They could practically hear the squeals from outside the room of requirement.

Soon enough, they both stopped faking it.

They both straightened and Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back.

Strangely enough, when Ron kissed her- which he had, once or twice, unfortunately-, he was all over her, sliding his hands up the back of her shirt until she had to break off and slap him, but when Blaise kissed her, he didn't even snatch her up and mold her body against his, as Ron had, but he was _gentle._ He was barely even touching her, except for his hands, which were now wrapped around the small of her back lightly.

She, on the other hand, had buried her fingers into his hair.

She was feeling a very odd and varying combination of emotions, including joy and confusion, for some reason, and that flopping thing in her stomach.

They broke off after a while.

"Wow," breathed Hermione.

He smiled and kissed her again, before grinning and saying "I have that effect on most people."

She whacked him playfully, just before the door opened.

"Told ya" said Ginny.

"Shut up, Ginny," said Hermione.

"You were meant for each other." Janice said.

"Don't you have lives to attend to?" asked Blaise.

"Nope. We're going to harp on about this until you die."

"HEY, LOOK! HARRY'S STRIPPING!" cried Hermione.

Both Ginny and Janice, who was quite infatuated with him, rushed off to see. Thank God they didn't come back.

"Library?" he asked.

"Library." She agreed, and grabbed his hand.

**The End!**


End file.
